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on campus Playground dedicated 3 Update construction projects 4 to BC students

9

‘Parting Thoughts’ from BC retirees

COMMENCEMENT 2011

MAY 26, 2011 VOL. 19 NO. 18

LaHood: ‘Strong Community, Active Civility’ ‘Take these values with you,’ Transportation Secretary tells grads

BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER

Finnegan Award

Ratz Committed to Rising Above the Challenges

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood speaks at Monday’s Commencement Exercises in Alumni Stadium. (Photo by Gary Gilbert)

this afternoon, bring your dedication to strong community and active civility as well,” LaHood said. “Take these values with you. They will hold you in good stead. You will do well by them.

Carry these values into your lives and careers, into your neighborhoods and churches, into your small businesses or large firms, into your city halls or state capi-

BY THE OFFICE OF NEWS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS

BY MELISSA BEECHER STAFF WRITER

“When one of my colleagues asks about Leon Ratz,” says Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs Donald Hafner, “I usually start by saying, ‘Look, you probably are not going to believe most of what I’m about to tell you...’”

The high praise from Hafner echoes what countless faculty members say about Ratz, winner of the 2011 Edward H. Finnegan, SJ, Memorial Award — Boston College’s most prestigious graduation honor, given to the student who best exemplifies the spirit of BC’s motto, “Ever to Excel.”

Ratz says it’s a motto he has considered and reflected on many times during his years at BC, which have seen him pursue academic and extracurricular interests in the arms trade and its impact on human rights violations.

“Growing up, my parents taught me to do the best I could, no matter what I did. When I take on a challenge, I’m personally committed to not only completing

tals. Open your minds to deliberations, to give-and-take, to compromise. You’d be surprised just how often paths of common courtesy lead to unexpected places.”

University President William P. Leahy, SJ, told the graduates that they would be well-served by their academic and personal growth to help address the many

Tomorrow’s Boston College Law School Commencement will take place at 10:30 a.m. in Conte Forum instead of Newton Campus. For more information, see http://www. bc.edu/schools/law.

“May you be forces for good and powerful examples for those around you, and may God continue to bless you and your families,” Fr. Leahy concluded.

In addition to LaHood, honorary degrees were presented to: New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. Chairman James S. Davis and Vice Chairman Anne M. Davis — who is managing trustee of the New Balance Charitable Foundation; Boston College Senior Vice President James P. McIntyre ’57, MEd ’61, EdD ’67; and BC Trustee Associate Sylvia Q. Simmons MEd’62, PhD’90, retired president of the American Student Assistance Corporation.

Political science major Leon Ratz was honored with BC’s top commencement prize, the Edward H. Finnegan, SJ, Memorial Award for the student who best exemplifies the University’s motto “Ever to Excel.” [see separate story this page] A seven-term Congressman from Illinois, LaHood was named Continued on page 5

13 Fulbrights Among Fellowship Honors

Lee Pellegrini

Community and civility, two virtues that have helped propel American society, should remain foremost in the minds of the Boston College Class of 2011 as the new graduates chart their courses through life, United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood told more than 3,700 students receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees Monday at the University’s 135th Commencement Exercises in Alumni Stadium.

LaHood, who received an honorary Doctor of Public Administration degree, asked the graduates to pursue community and civility, which he said have allowed the nation to persevere through good times and bad.

“As you depart Chestnut Hill

pressing issues facing the world.

He noted that every generation faces complex issues and uncertainties and that each must respond to those challenges.

“Your challenges today are no different from graduates in the past: Every age has had problems to face,” Fr. Leahy said. “Just as we were hopeful that your predecessors could overcome the difficulties of their times, we believe that you have the knowledge, skills, values, and determination to confront and resolve today’s problems. I am confident that God will be with you and sustain you in the future as He has in the past.

Leon Ratz

the challenge but to go above and beyond even my own expectations.

BC really has fostered that drive,” said Ratz, a Presidential Scholar who earned his degree in political science.

Born in the Ukraine, Ratz immigrated with his parents, Larry and Yelena, to the United States in 1994, eventually settling in Fairlawn, NJ. Ratz said his family history – his parents were part of a persecuted Jewish minority in the Soviet Union and many family members were killed during the Holocaust – had a profound impact on him.

“Knowing about those experiences formed a deep awareness of Continued on page 7

Boston College seniors amassed an impressive trove of post-graduate fellowships and scholarships during the now completed 2010-11 academic year, highlighted by 13 Fulbrights. The prestigious grants — which support a year’s postbaccalaureate study abroad — have become a regular, and welcome, feature of the University’s academic achievements.

In addition to the 13 graduating seniors who have formally received Fulbrights, at press time two others selected as alternates were awaiting confirmation of funding for their projects. Several Boston College alumni and graduate students also were selected as Fulbright recipients or alternates this year. [Graduating senior John Kost and Lynch School of Education graduate student Sarah Ash were awarded Fulbrights but declined to accept.]

This year’s crop of BC Fulbright scholars will trek to such countries as Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Germany, Korea, Nepal, Spain and Vietnam. Many will teach English, and all look forward to sharing aspects of American culture even as they learn about their host countries’ language and culture. BC grads also will study Poland’s efforts to halt

human trafficking, explore Spain’s arts communities, and learn about perceptions of immigration and ethnic heritage in Argentina, among other projects.

NAME: Soumia Aitelhaj ’10 (Alternate) HOMETOWN: Revere, Mass.

DESTINATION: Morocco PROJECT: Travel through Moroccan villages to record elder women who compose Amazigh poetry, then work with part-time English faculty member Kimberly Garcia to translate into English and publish as a book.

PLANS: Pending additional funding, would continue the project by producing a documentary of Amazigh poetry and culture.

NAME: Sebastian Agredo HOMETOWN: Rego Park, NY DESTINATION: Germany PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship PLANS: Work for a private emergency medical services company to gain experience in the medical field; afterwards, continue education in medical school, or pursue graduate studies with an eye toward career in philosophy.

“For me, the Fulbright Program and the opportunity to teach in Germany will open new paths for cultural and personal growth. It represents the steps I have taken throughout my academic career to establish a lasting relationship with the country in which I was born, and it will offer me new insights into the

German identity, thus giving me a greater appreciation and understanding for the similarities and differences between the American and German cultures.”

NAME: Lauren Blodgett HOMETOWN: Peabody, Mass.

DESTINATION: Austria PROJECT: Work in conjunction with a professor at the University of Innsbruck to examine global implications of US non-participation in the International Code Council.

PLANS: Attend law school, work for Habitat for Humanity International.

“With my 100-page senior thesis as a springboard for my Fulbright study, I will utilize the resources in Innsbruck to contribute to the scholarly material on this relatively new institution.”

NAME: Leigh Cameron ’09 (Alternate) HOMETOWN: Bedford, NH DESTINATION: New Zealand PROJECT: Through Lincoln University, will research and write case studies on initiatives in Lincoln and Christchurch to determine how the Transition Towns movement, as well as the permaculture principles it embodies, can help communities transition to social and ecological sustainability.

PLANS: To advance community sustainability efforts in the US either through government work or as an educator.

NAME: Lake Coreth HOMETOWN: Mount Kisco, NY DESTINATION: Argentina

Continued on page 12

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 26, 2011

2

FULL BLOOM

A ROUND C AMPUS

So far, so good

Pots of flowers awaited planting around campus earlier this month. (Photo by Sean Smith)

Spelling it out As the last movie of the last Harry Potter book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” — due out in July — represents the end of the official Potter franchise (barring, say, a Broadway musical or animated series).

Amid this final burst of Pottermania, Romance Languages and Literatures Professor Emerita Vera Lee has published On the Trail of Harry Potter, which she touts as the first book-length literary analysis of all seven Harry Potter volumes.

“Most studies that look at part or all of the series focus on aspects such as magic and fantasy, philosophy, morality, myth, religion or spirituality,” explains Lee. “But instead of trying to explain what J.K. Rowling created in Harry Potter, I wanted to demonstrate how she created it — and why, because of that, the series has been so successful.”

In the book, Lee discusses the in-

dividual and collective natures of the four main characters (that’s Harry, Hermione, Ron and Dumbledore, in case you didn’t know), and examines Rowling’s writing technique and style, including her use of humor. Lee also delves into the “spin-offs” Rowling created from the Harry Potter books and compares the Potter books with their film adaptations.

While in her book she does note the critical views of the Potter series, Lee makes no secret of her for the subject matter.

“I became an ardent fan of Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling from the get-go,” says Lee, who was given the first book — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone — by her daughter, who had read it with her daughters.

“The Sorcerer’s Stone had me laughing out loud; the others drew me in irresistibly. I was hooked. In fact, after reading all the seven volumes twice, I

thought, ‘How can I remain in this world of Harry Potter?’ Then I realized I could just write a book about it.”

Like most Potter fans, Lee says she was disappointed that the series has now ended. “But writing about the series was so fulfilling, it seemed to put closure on the loss.”

Fortunately, Lee says, her life as a Harry Potter authority will go on even after the last incantation is uttered: She’s giving a presentation on “The Fans and the Films” at the LeakyCon conference — an annual event organized by staff of The Leaky Cauldron, arguably the top Harry Potter website — in July, at Wellesley Library in the late summer and this autumn at the Potterwatch conference in North Carolina. She also has started a blog [http://harrypotterdiscussiongroup. blogspot.com] and a Facebook page.

On the Trail of Harry Potter is available at the Boston College Bookstore and from Pitapat Press [http://www. pitapatpress.com].

—SS

sure was dangerously high. Through Healthy You, he has taken steps to address the underlying causes of his health issues. In another case, Steven Munger, a manager of human resource systems in IT Applications Services, said that as a result of completing the Health Questionnaire he was assigned a wellness coach who has helped him to lose 15 pounds, lower his sodium

information on healthy living.

By late June, Lewis said, BC will receive the aggregate data from Harvard Pilgrim that will be used to create employee wellness programs that may range from nutrition and smoking cessation to exercise and stress management. “The first step will be to analyze the data from the Health Questionnaire to see what we can do to address employee needs,” said Lewis. “In the year to come, we look forward to providing new programs and additional information to continue to promote a healthier BC workforce.”

Lewis said all 2,024 BC employees who responded to Health Questionnaire will be given the opportunity to earn the $100 gift certificate, including the 300 who did not provide all of their biometric readings. Those employees who did not provide all of their biometric information will be notified by Harvard Pilgrim in the near future and will be able to take advantage of an extended deadline to supply their remaining numbers online.

“We want as many people as possible who took the questionnaire to be able to get the $100 incentive,” said Lewis. “All BC employees deserve to share in the success of this effort to make our workforce as healthy as possible. The long term goal of Healthy You is to have a positive impact on the health of our community and as a result reduce health care costs for our employees and the University.”

—JD

A wealth of health Healthy You, the University-wide effort to promote health and wellness among BC employees, has been a healthy success, organizers say, with 2,024 employees and spouses completing the Harvard Pilgrim Health Questionnaire aimed at identifying potential health issues.

Robert Lewis, associate vice president for human resources and the driving force behind the initiative, said he was very pleased with the number of participants, which exceeded University expectations, and with the overall response to the Healthy You campaign.

“I have been particularly encouraged by our employees’ desire to know their numbers and to increase their awareness of their own health. The BC community has really embraced this initiative.”

This spring, Boston College offered six “Know Your Numbers” biometric screenings in which employees received their specific numbers for height, weight, blood pressure, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and glucose.

The information was then submitted through a confidential Health Questionnaire to Harvard Pilgrim Health Care nurses/coaches who have offered recommendations for corrective actions, as needed.

One BC employee was taken to the hospital during his screening when the nurse discovered that his blood pres-

intake and reduce his blood pressure.

“Since April 6 I have been working with my wellness coach and will continue to do so for the next year as we pursue my weight goal,” he said. “The Healthy You initiative has made a tremendous difference for me personally.”

Lewis also cited a group of 21 employees who, inspired by the Healthy You campaign, started a Weight Watchers group in St. Clements, as an example of the initiative’s positive effect. In addition, the Flynn Recreation Complex has offered lunchtime seminars on health and lifestyle issues, including one on nutrition that attracted 200 employees. The Healthy You website, www.harvardpilgrim.org/ bostoncollege, and the Boston Consortium’s Healthy You website www. healthyyouhmi.org, have also experienced a steady stream of visits from employees who have found a wealth of

It’s not even a year old, but the Law School’s Digital Commons Repository has had more than 200,000 downloads — that comes out to an average of more than 18,000 a month.

Launched 11 months ago, the Digital Commons Repository collects and preserves all scholarly work of the BC Law community in digital form to share intellectual property with a global audience, said Digital Services and Institutional Repository Librarian Travis Emick.

“This has been a very organic effort and we’re pleased to see that so many articles have been downloaded,” he said. “We know that many people have been finding the works through Google or Google Scholar searches. Other universities, researchers, school teachers and high school debate teams have all linked to some content, which shows the breadth of who is accessing the material.”

The repository currently holds nearly 4,000 papers and the number is growing every day, according to Emick. Among its contents are offerings from select faculty papers, lectures and presentations, the BC Law webcast archive, the Boston College Law Review, the Boston College International & Comparative Law Review, the Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review, the BC Third World Law Journal and the Law and Justice in the Americas Working Paper Series.

Emick said he and staff members Lily Olson and Filippa Anzalone are continuing to upload more materials. Making them available helps to “fulfill the Law School’s commitment to the wide distribution of its scholarship,” he said.

The Digital Commons Repository can be found at http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/ —MB

This edition of the Boston College Chronicle is the last of the 2010-2011 academic year. Chronicle will publish a summer edition in July, and return to a regular publication schedule in September.

Keep up to date on Boston College news and information via the BCInfo website, http://www. bc.edu/bcinfo The Boston College

Chronicle DIRECTOR OF NEWS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Jack Dunn DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF NEWS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Patricia Delaney EDITOR

Sean Smith CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Melissa Beecher Ed Hayward Reid Oslin Rosanne Pellegrini Kathleen Sullivan Eileen Woodward PHOTOGRAPHERS

Gary Gilbert Lee Pellegrini The Boston College Chronicle (USPS 009491), the internal newspaper for faculty and staff, is published biweekly from September to May by Boston College, with editorial offices at the Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (617)552-3350. Distributed free to faculty and staff offices and other locations on campus. Periodicals postage paid at Boston, MA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to The Boston College Chronicle, Office of News & Public Affairs, 14 Mayflower Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.

Contact Chronicle via e-mail: chronicle@bc.edu.

Electronic editions of the Boston College Chronicle are available via the World Wide Web at http://www.bc.edu/chronicle.

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 26, 2011

3

Campus Construction Update

Stokes and Gasson Projects Continuing On Schedule

BY REID OSLIN STAFF WRITER

Stokes Hall will be reaching for the sky this summer – at the rate of about 15 feet a month.

With its foundation in place, structural steel rising skyward and concrete masonry walls and floor decking ready for installation, the framework of Boston College’s new four-story, 183,000-square foot academic building will expand into place this summer and University administrators say construction of the new facility is on target for completion in the fall of 2012.

Construction on the north wing of Stokes hall is set to move upward by one level every four weeks; work on the larger south wing will advance a level about every six weeks in the coming months.

“Even after such a hard winter, we will still stay on track by aggressively pushing this phase,” said Mary Nardone, associate vice president for capital projects management. “This will be a very busy summer in terms of all of our large-scale construction projects.”

In addition to the installation of the framework structure of the

Stokes project, the arrival of granite stone in mid-June will herald the beginning of work on Stokes Hall’s exterior walls, which will continue through the summer and fall months.

When completed, Stokes Hall will include faculty offices for Classical Studies, English, History, Philosophy, Theology, the College of Arts & Sciences Honors Program, the Arts & Sciences Service Center, Academic Advising Center and First Year Experience offices, as well as 36 new classrooms, a commons area, conference rooms and outdoor gardens and plaza space. [For more on the Stokes Hall project, see the website http://tinyurl.com/3fj2lj7] Three other major campus construction projects are also on target for completion during the upcoming academic year, said Nardone.

•The exterior and interior work on Gasson Hall will be completed in August and occupants of the University’s signature building are scheduled to move into the refurbished classroom and office structure prior to the start of the fall semester. Final aspects of the 15-month Gasson renovation project include the installation of

An aerial view of the Stokes Hall construction site.

new windows and the rebuilding of the east and west porticos and stairways. Interior improvements include life safety and accessibility upgrades.

•On the Brighton Campus, interior renovations to the building at 129 Lake Street (formerly Bishop Peterson Hall) will continue through the summer months along with site and roadway drainage work in the vicinity. The

building is scheduled to be reoccupied this fall by the offices of the Financial Vice President and Human Resources departments that are currently located in More Hall.

•Construction of a new wing at the former Chancery building at 2121 Commonwealth Avenue is now underway, with erection of structural steel starting this month. The new addition will be weather-tight by the

end of summer, according to Nardone, and completion of the project is scheduled for late February of 2012.

The reconstructed Chancery facility will house the University’s Advancement and Alumni staffs.

Check in at BCInfo [www.bc.edu/ bcinfo] for news and announcements regarding campus construction during the summer.

Contact Reid Oslin at reid.oslin@bc.edu

BC Makes President’s Service Honor Roll public service and the knowledge that they can make a difference in their community and their own Boston College has been lives through service to others, named to the 2010 President’s thanks to the leadership of these Higher Education Community institutions.”

Service Honor Roll, which recBoston College is one of 641 ognizes the University as a leader colleges and universities named among institutions of higher edu- to the 2010 President’s Higher cation for engaging its students, Education Community Service faculty and staff in meaningful Honor Roll. There was a nine volunteering, service-learning percent increase in the number of and civic engagement. institutions vying for honor roll Honorees are chosen based status in 2010. on a series of selection factors, Volunteer and Service Learnincluding the scope and innova- ing Center Daniel Ponsetto said, tion of service projects, the ex- “Anyone who works with our tent to which service-learning is students on a regular basis knows embedded in the curriculum, the the passion and determination school’s committhat they bring to ment to long-term “Anyone who works with service. In addition campus-commuto the many pronity partnerships, our students on a regular grams the Univerand measurable basis knows the passion sity sponsors to encommunity outgage our students comes as a result and determination that in serving others, of service. initiatives they bring to service.” new “Congratulaemerge each year, —Daniel Ponsetto allowing more stutions to Boston College and its dents to become students for their involved as volundedication to service and com- teers. mitment to improving their lo“This recognition by the Corcal communities,” said Patrick poration for National and ComA. Corvington, chief executive munity Service is a confirmation officer of Corporation for Na- of our institutional commitment tional and Community Service to fostering civic engagement (CNCS), which administers among our students, and also the annual Honor Roll. “As the confirms their dedication to parClass of 2011 crosses the stage ticipating in the social mission of to pick up their diplomas, more our Jesuit, Catholic university.” and more will be going into the Boston College’s commitment world with a commitment to to long-term campus-community

BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

partnerships and bringing about measurable community outcomes is best exemplified in its nominated 2009-10 initiatives such as the Boston Connects program (recently expanded and renamed City Connects), St. Columbkille Partnership School, and Boston College Neighborhood Center.

The Boston Connects program, directed by Kearns Professor of Urban Education and Innovative Leadership Mary Walsh and in place in 14 Boston Public Schools, combats in the effects of poverty and non-academic barriers to school success. Boston Connects schools have seen increased test scores and improved health habits among its students.

The BC Neighborhood Center, located in the Brighton neighborhood it serves, provides Boston residents and agencies with services such as tutoring, mentoring, goodwill visits to schools and hospitals, community clean-ups and English language instruction, among other initiatives.

At St. Columbkille Partnership School, a collaboration among BC, the Archdiocese of Boston and St. Columbkille Parish, 17 teachers have earned degrees from BC, tuition-free. The University also provides studentteachers, interns and tutors for the school, as well as curriculum development and information technology assistance.

Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

In keeping with the ongoing “Got Green?” energy conservation campaign, Boston College administrators remind the University community that there are many easy, cost-saving ways to cut energy consumption in the spring and summer months – both on campus and at home.

•Close drapes and blinds to keep out direct sunlight during the day.

•Keep windows closed during the heat of the day.

•Set air conditioner thermostats higher in order to minimize cooling and energy use.

•Turn the air conditioner off 30 minutes before you leave.

•Don’t set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool any faster.

•Limit the opening of refrigerators.

•Use a toaster-oven or small microwave when cooking small to moderately sized meals.

•Please continue to turn off lights and appliances (not computers) when you leave a room and unplug chargers when not in use.

•When they’re not in use, turn off — or where possible unplug — items (other than computers) that consume electricity: lights, individual coffee makers, televisions and other electronic equipment.

Laptops, battery chargers, TVs, stereos and other electronics continue to draw electricity when plugged in. In particular, unplug laptops and chargers (cell phone, iPod, et al) when you are not recharging the batteries.

•Turn off your computer monitor when it is not in use.

•Review requirements and assignments for turning off office equipment such as printers, copiers and other equipment.

•Turn off office, classroom and task lights when not in use.

•When possible use task lights, with compact fluorescent lighting, rather than overhead lights. Open office blinds for natural light.

•Run full loads in washers and dryers. Use “warm” instead of “hot” water settings whenever possible.

For more on energy conservation at BC, see http://www.bc.edu/green

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 26, 2011

4

Local School Playground Dedicated to BC Students

BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

Two Boston College students who never lived to realize their dreams of becoming teachers were remembered and honored last week at St. Columbkille Partnership School.

On May 19, a playground at the school was dedicated in memory of Patricia Coyle and Karen Noonan, Lynch School of Education students who were killed in December 1988 when the plane carrying them back to the US from a semester abroad was destroyed by a terrorist bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland. The bombing of Pan-Am Flight 103 killed all 243 passengers and 16 crew members, as well as 11 residents of Lockerbie.

The playground was made possible by a gift from Boston College alumni Jim and Krisann Miller of Wellesley. Coyle was Krisann Miller’s twin sister. The Millers, Coyle and Noonan were all members of the Class of 1990.

Jim Miller is a member of the board of trustees at St. Columbkille Partnership School and has been a dedicated benefactor of the school, specifically in launching its early childhood program.

Teaching had been both Coyle and Noonan’s passion, said Krisann Miller, recalling that her sister had student taught in Boston and “really loved it.” The playground dedication to her sister and Karen after so many years, Krisann added, was very meaningful for the families.

Parents Matt and Jan Coyle of Connecticut and Pat and Nancy Noonan of Maryland attended the

(L-R) Matt and Jan Coyle and Nancy and Pat Noonan were given an official greeting by a student from St. Columbkille Partnership School, where a playground was dedicated in the name of the Coyles’ and Noonans’ daughters, Boston College students who were killed in 1988. Looking on were University President William P. Leahy, SJ, and St. Columbkille Trustees Chair Peter McLaughlin. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

dedication ceremony, which featured singing by St. Columbkille students in the early childhood program. Boston College Chancellor J. Donald Monan, SJ, who was president of BC in 1988, offered the invocation.

“We gather to imprint on this simple human space, set aside for the joy and laughter and happy activity of schoolchildren, not only the names, but also the aspirations and the ideals, of two young women, Patricia Coyle and Karen Noonan, who went before us to the Lord at the very zenith of their youthful beauty and their goodness,” said Fr. Monan.

Boston College President William P. Leahy, SJ, who led the University into its historic col-

LSOE Center Changes Name to Reflect an Evolving Mission A long-standing center devoted to supporting students, families and communities has been re-named, reflecting its innovative efforts to develop the most effective ways to address the out-of-school factors that influence how students learn and thrive in school.

The Center for Optimized Student Support replaces the former title of the Center for Child, Family and Community Partnerships, which is located in the Lynch School of Education.

Under the direction of Kearns Professor of Urban Education and Innovative Leadership Mary Walsh, the center serves as a national resource for researchers, training programs, and professional development. The center seeks to provide the latest research and evidence-based practices to school administrators and student support practitioners, such as school counselors, social workers, adjustment counselors, and school psychologists.

“Through our research, the Center for Optimized Student Support will be able to cast new light on the impact of out-of-school factors that affect children’s ability to achieve in school, as well as the solutions that

have been developed,” said Walsh.

“We know that schools cannot close the achievement gap on their own without the active contribution of the wider community. Our charge is to research, identify, and disseminate best practices in student support, and we are excited to be at the forefront of this important field.”

Nationwide, there is agreement that schools cannot close the achievement gap without addressing the out-of-school factors that influence students’ success. The center develops, tests, and disseminates innovative practices that address these outof-school factors (social/emotional, health, and family) by optimizing student support in schools.

Current initiatives of the center include implementing City Connects, a research-based approach to student support currently in 17 Boston public elementary schools and, in 201112, in six Springfield, Mass., public schools. In addition, the center works on the New Balance Foundation curriculum to improve health and fitness, is developing a student support model for pre-schoolers and implementing the City Connects model in 16 Boston Catholic elementary schools.

—Ed Hayward

laboration with the Archdiocese of Boston and St. Columbkille parish to revitalize the struggling Catholic school, helped to unveil the plaque displaying Noonan and Coyle’s names.

“We dedicate ourselves to continuing the great work of Catholic education,” he said. Referring to the young students attending the ceremony, he added, “You are so much of our future. The future of this neighborhood. The future for our city, for our nation, for our Church.”

Peter McLaughlin, chair of the board of trustees for St. Columbkille Partnership School, said, “I am pleased and honored that St. Columbkille is able to commemorate [Coyle and Noonan’s] lives by

dedicating our playground to these very special women who loved children and the value of Catholic elementary school education. We expect the playground to be filled with laughter and fun — a place that Tricia and Karen would have loved.”

In his talk, St. Columbkille Head of School Bill Gartside touched on the themes of hope and resurrection. He noted that St. Columbkille is a “tremendous success story” and continues to thrive, citing the addition of a third K-2 class and expanded 4th grade in the fall. The school’s enrollment is on the upswing, from its current 304 to an expected 320-325 for 2011-12.

Lynch School of Education Ke-

COOKING UP A FAREWELL

The Boston College Police Department held a barbecue on Lower Campus last week for members of the Class of 2011.

(Photos by Ed Hayward)

arns Professor in Urban Education and Innovative Leadership Mary Walsh, a graduate of St. Columbkille, talked about Jim Miller’s commitment to Catholic education and her first meeting with him a decade ago when he discussed the possibility of the University making a difference in Boston’s Catholic schools as they had done in the city’s public schools.

“This school and your alma mater up the hill, Jim and Krisann, are grateful for your vision and generous hearts,” said Walsh.

Coyle and Noonan’s fathers each offered thanks at the ceremony. “It is very special to be here because Karen and Tricia love to teach the little people,” said Pat Noonan. “I want to say thank you to all those who devoted so much effort to this renovation, this playground and to this great school that’s a model for Boston and a model for the nation.”

Addressing the St. Columbkille students, Matt Coyle said, “You are lucky to arrive at school where you are loved. Anything is possible for you.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, two doves were released to the cheers of the students. The dove, a symbol of peace, appears in the logo of the school because the Gaelic name “Colum” means “dove.” With the incessant rain of the week having abated, the children were able to use the playground immediately following the dedication.

Watch a video about the ceremony on the Chronicle YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/bcchronicle Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 26, 2011

5

COMMENCEMENT 2011

HONORARY DEGREE CITATIONS For the full texts, see ww.bc.edu/chronicle

Carroll School of Management students start the processional to Alumni Stadium. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

LaHood Makes Case for ‘Community, Civility’ Continued from page 1 the 16th US secretary of transportation by President Barack Obama on Jan. 23, 2009, heading an agency with more than 55,000 employees and a $70 billion budget that oversees air, maritime and surface transportation missions.

LaHood, who earned a reputation for building bipartisan consensus during his time in the US House of Representatives, cautioned graduates not to be deterred by the rancor that often defines the country’s political debate. Other examples from throughout history show the divisiveness between political sides has been far worse.

The values of community and civility, he argued, provide a framework that allows the nation to do the work that continues to move America forward. Community “draws its meaning from the lasting importance of shared ritual and collective experience. It’s why you cheer against Notre Dame,” he said, drawing a loud cheer from the crowd.

He praised the class for the 550,000 hours of community service performed locally, as well as in locations such as Appalachia, New Orleans and Haiti.

But he reserved special recognition for senior Allison Lantero, asking her to stand as he quoted from her blog post, where she asked “Who is Ray LaHood?” and expressed her hope his speech would be short. He promised it would be, but not before giving Lantero a good-natured ribbing.

“Well, Allison, I’m Ray LaHood and I promise I’ll be brief,” he said.

Cloudy skies did nothing to diminish the enthusiasm of students receiving their diplomas and reflecting on their years at BC. “It definitely feels great today,” said Julian Yu, a political science major from Amherst, NH, as he walked with his classmates down Linden Lane. “The service component was so important to my experience here. There is definitely a sense of community that is evident in our courses and in everything else we could experience as undergraduates.”

Christina Muli, of Nairobi, Kenya, a psychology major and premed student, said getting to know more about her classmates and the world at large through a range of activities and clubs was the highlight of her time at the Heights.

“I loved my four years here,” said Muli. “Apart from the education, I got to learn so much from my friends and fellow students by getting involved in programs and clubs and service activities. It all made this a great place to be.”

Caroline Winn, a finance and marketing major from Lexington, Mass., said, “I’m really going to miss the friends I’ve made here during the last four years. They’re like my family.”

More than 3,700 undergraduate and graduate degrees were awarded to the Class of 2011.

Among undergraduates, finance topped the list of majors with 289 degrees awarded, followed by economics (277), communication (265), English (179) and marketing (174).

Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu

University President William P. Leahy, SJ, with this year’s honorary degree recipients: front, left to right, Anne M. Davis, Ray LaHood, James P. McIntyre; back, left to right, James S. Davis, Fr. Leahy, Sylvia Q. Simmons. (Photo by Gary Gilbert)

Anne M. Davis As befits the vice chairman of a global leader in athletic footwear and apparel, the career of Anne Davis can only be described as “high performance.” She joined New Balance in 1977 as its first director of human resources, seeking to build a caring, vibrant culture for its employees. She hit the ground running – introducing progressive training, teamwork, and motivational techniques that helped propel the company forward so that today it ranks among the world’s most respected shoe manufacturers.

As managing trustee of the New Balance Foundation, she manifests an abiding concern for future generations and is an effective proponent of healthy lifestyles and fitness for individuals and communities. She has overseen the distribution of millions of dollars in support of education and initiatives seeking to confront and overcome the challenge of childhood obesity.

James S. Davis With the determination of a marathon athlete, the spirit of an entrepreneur, and the generous heart of a philanthropist, James S. “Jim” Davis has succeeded in helping our country become more physically fit and economically competitive.

On the day of Boston’s famed Marathon in 1972, he became the owner of the New Balance Corporation in Brighton – then a local firm of just six employees that produced 30 pairs of custom-made running shoes per day. Today, New Balance employs more than 5,000 people around the globe and has grown into the nation’s largest private company in the sporting goods industry.

Along with directing the impressive growth and popularity of New Balance products, he has long supported efforts to advance health and fitness among all Americans. Recently, the New Balance Foundation joined First Lady Michelle Obama in a campaign to end childhood obesity and to promote healthy lifestyles for children and families. Earlier this year, it established the Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention, Clinical Research and Care at Boston’s Children’s Hospital.

Ray LaHood People today are constantly on the move – via air, land, and sea. As Secretary of Transportation, it is Ray LaHood’s responsibility to ensure that all travelers in the United States arrive as efficiently and safely as possible.

Heading an agency with more than 55,000 employees and a $70 billion budget, Secretary LaHood has supported initiatives to build a national high-speed passenger rail network, strengthen commercial bus and driver safety, protect airline consumers, and upgrade America’s oil and gas pipeline network. He has elevated the Secretary of Transportation office to a new level of public visibility, with 6,600 Facebook fans, 17,400 followers on Twitter, and a Fast Lane blog that boasts upwards of 40,000 or more hits a week.

A native of Peoria, Illinois, and once a junior high social studies teacher, he served as a Republican Congressman for 14 years, earning a reputation for consensus-building and promoting bipartisanship and civility among his colleagues. His willingness to reach across the aisle figured prominently in President Barack Obama’s decision to select him as a Cabinet member.

James P. McIntyre During his half-century as a student and administrator at “the Heights,” James P. McIntyre has had an immense impact on the evolution of Boston College. He played a significant role in the development of the “Mods,” the Flynn Recreation Complex, Robsham Theater, Conte Forum, Merkert Chemistry Center, and the current Alumni Stadium. He also helped establish BC’s financial aid program and directed the University’s first major capital campaign.

He holds three degrees from Boston College and became the first lay vice president here in 1968, when he was named head of Student Affairs. Eight years later, he was appointed Vice President for University Relations, and in 1986 he assumed his current post as Senior Vice President. His 43 consecutive years of service as a vice president are unmatched in Jesuit higher education in the United States.

He has served on the boards of the Massachusetts Educational Finance Authority and Malden Catholic High School, his alma mater. He and his wife, Monica, met while working in BC admissions, married in 1962, and built their own Eagle’s Nest, raising six children – Mary, Peter, James Jr., Ann, Karalyn, and David – all BC alumni.

Sylvia Q. Simmons

Just one of the numerous congratulatory phone calls that took place in Alumni Stadium Monday. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

Throughout her life as a teacher, administrator, wife, and parent, Sylvia Q. Simmons has sought to make education an achievable goal for all. She began her career as a Montessori school instructor and later became an administrator in the Head Start preschool program. She subsequently worked as associate dean of admissions and financial aid at Harvard and Radcliffe, and as associate vice president for academic affairs at the University of Massachusetts. In the 1990s, she served as vice president and eventually president of American Student Assistance, a corporation that helps students and families finance the cost of college education. Her competence and reputation led Governor Deval Patrick in 2010 to ask that she assist in the development of a 10-year strategic plan for education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the Lynch School of Education, and in 1966 became the first AfricanAmerican female administrator at Boston College, when she was named registrar of the School of Management. In 1990 she was appointed a trustee of her alma mater, and currently serves as a trustee associate on the Student Life Committee.

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 26, 2011

6

COMMENCEMENT 2011

Mantica Family Keeps Managua-BC Connection Going It’s a long trip from Managua, Nicaragua, to Chestnut Hill, but 1983 alumnus Felipe Mantica seems intent on making it for a while.

Each year since 2007, Mantica has made the trek to drop off his eldest child Felipe Jr. at Boston College. During the next four years, the Mantica traveling party grew, as the next eldest, Miguel (Class of 2012), and then Lucia (Class of 2013) also enrolled in BC. And while Felipe Jr. graduated this spring, Francisco has been accepted to BC and plans to be in this fall’s freshman class.

That’s four Mantica children so far — and seven more to go.

“My Dad loved BC. Because of the great education he got here, he was able to start his first business, which was distributing IBM computers in Nicaragua,” said Felipe Jr., who majored in finance and economics. BC was the first choice for Felipe Jr. and his siblings, who all were accepted via early action and never applied to any other colleges.

Felipe Jr. says he has enjoyed having his siblings with him for the latter part of his BC career. “I think it’s good for them having an older brother around because I have been able to give them advice on what courses to take and where to live. And I’ve introduced them to many of my friends.”

Although his other eight siblings stayed back in Managua, Felipe Jr. looked forward to having not only his parents and two BC siblings but also his grandparents and two uncles with him for Commencement.

“It’s just great having my family around,” said Felipe Jr., who plans to return to Nicaragua and work in his father’s business.

—Sean Smith

Felipe Mantica Jr. enjoyed Commencement with his family members from Nicaragua. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)

Preparation is everything on Commencement Day: above, this student came equipped for the damp weather; above left, one family brought along some distinctive props to cheer their graduate; below left, mortarboards are often the medium for heartfelt messages.

Photos by Caitlin Cunningham

Major Gen. James C. McConville, left, and his wife Maria, pinned the gold bars of an Army second lieutenant on the shoulders of their son Michael at the Boston College Army ROTC Commissioning ceremony held last Sunday on Bapst Lawn.

Michael — named “Distinguished Military Graduate” of the BC officer training unit — was one of 12 new Army officers from the Class of 2011 commissioned during the ceremony.

(Photo by Christopher Soldt)

Carroll Graduate School of Management students taking the Oath of Ethical Conduct last week. (Photo by Caitlin Cunningham)

CGSOM Debuts Oath of Ethics Seventy-two graduating Carroll Graduate School of Management students participated in the school’s inaugural Oath of Ethical Conduct ceremony last Thursday in Fulton Hall.

In partnership with a number of graduate schools of business from around the country, the CGSOM students pledged to lead in the interests of the greater good and create value responsibly and ethically.

University President William P. Leahy, SJ, and CSOM Associate Dean Jeffrey Ringuest spoke at the event, along with Robert Winston ’60, namesake and benefactor of the school’s Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics. Graduate Management Association President George Herz led the oath.

In his remarks, Ringuest explained the context for the introduction of the oath as an outgrowth of a student initiative to define CGSOM’s core values: honesty and integrity, mutual respect, pursuit of excellence, and personal accountability. Although other business schools have implemented an oath of ethical con-

duct for its MBAs, Ringuest said, CGSOM students “wanted to do something more: They wanted to open this initiative up to all of our graduate students, not just our MBAs, and they wanted to not just stand in solidarity with MBAs at other schools around the world but to reaffirm the core values of the Carroll School graduate programs.”

Christopher Grillo, a Connell School of Nursing administrative assistant and CGSOM student who co-organized the ceremony, described the event as “very fulfilling. The core values of the Carroll School are not just something on a piece of paper or at the bottom of an e-mail but ideals by which we live. Our values, whatever they may be, are challenged constantly.

“It’s important to have a clear understanding of one’s values and be confident enough to articulate those publicly. That’s what 72 students did last week and they have support from one another as they move on in their careers.”

To find out more about the Carroll Graduate School of Management Oath of Ethical Conduct, see http://bit.ly/l6Oifn.

—Sean Smith

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 26, 2011

7

COMMENCEMENT 2011

Finnegan Award Winner

Continued from page 1 the importance of human rights and tions Arms Trade Treaty that would the importance of protecting those establish legally binding, common rights,” said Ratz. standards for how countries import In high school, Ratz became in- and export conventional weapons. volved with Amnesty International Ratz credits a BC Advanced Study through its campaign to abolish the Grant for enabling him to condeath penalty in New Jersey. As a duct research on the topic at AI’s student ambassador for AI, he met London headquarters the summer several Jesuits from St. Peter’s Col- following his freshman year. lege and was impressed enough to “With the help of AI, I had consider Boston College because of the opportunity to start going to its Jesuit affiliation. the United Nations my sophomore “I was looking for a university year. I went to various meetings that would bring social justice to about the Arms Trade Treaty and the front of its mission and Boston worked with the advocacy team of College does that,” said Ratz.

Amnesty at the UN,” said Ratz, During his first weeks on cam- who would shuttle between his pus, he said he “unexpectedly” be- classes at BC to New York City came involved in Hillel when a several times a week. residence hall mate invited him to When negotiations on the treaty Shabbat diner. “He took me to stalled, Ratz took action. “I was my first of many, sitting in O’Neill many Shabbat din“I was looking for a Library studying ers here at BC. In an for a midterm in unexpected way, BC university that would economics and made me more Jew- bring social justice to an idea hit me: ish. By coming to a If governments school where religion the front of its mission want and need plays such an impormore time to disand Boston College tant role in student cuss critical areas does that.” formation, I had the of this treaty and opportunity to study —Leon Ratz there isn’t enough my own faith.” time in the offiOver the next cial UN calendar, four years, Ratz would hold various why not organize something here in positions within Hillel, including as Boston?” Ratz said. “I was frustrated president last year. Among his many on how slow the negotiations were accomplishments, he established going and it was a situation where I BC as the first Jesuit University in took it in my own hands and said the country to offer on-campus ser- ‘What can I do to speed this up?’” vices for Jewish high holidays.

Leading a group of friends, he “That night was a wonderful developed the Boston Symposium and surreal experience,” Ratz re- on the Arms Trade Treaty, a nonmembers. “Here we were at a Je- official working session for UN delsuit, Catholic university, celebrating egates to focus on the treaty. Ratz Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New secured $100,000 from three forYear, with Jewish students, Catholic eign governments, gained the offistudents, Muslim students...there cial endorsement from the US State were faculty in the crowd, Catholic Department and brought leaders priests. At that point it hit me, BC from more than 30 countries to is a very special place where people Boston. [The UN is scheduled to from all different backgrounds can take up the treaty again this year.] come together and find spirituality In his Finnegan Award nomiand faith in meaningful ways.” nation letter for Ratz, Professor of Ratz’s continuing involvement Chemistry Dennis Sardella — who in Amnesty International drew him had been Presidential Scholars Proto AI’s advocacy for a United Na- gram director at the time — said of

This year’s Finnegan Award candidates were, in photo at left, (L-R) Robyn Antonucci, winner Leon Ratz, Susan Choy and Scott Landay, and above, Molly Rosenwasser. (Photos

by Caitlin Cunningham)

the conference: “It was, in my opinion, a major international project of stunning vision, dwarfing anything I have seen from a BC student in my nearly 44 years here.”

Ratz’s other BC activities included writing for The Heights, serving as an Office of Undergraduate Admission tour guide and student employee in the Bapst Art Library, interning at the Massachusetts State House and coordinating campus panel discussions “Reclaiming Politics as Service” and “The Obama Administration and the Future of Nuclear Arms Control.”

Ratz plans on attending Harvard’s Kennedy School in the fall to pursue a master’s in public policy.

Beyond that, he remains open to many possibilities.

“Who knows where I will end up after graduate school,” he laughed.

“I can say that at the heart of what I will be doing is service and social justice. It’s the kind of values BC has instilled in me and it’s the kind of values that I hope will be at the heart of everything I do for the rest of my life.”

Contact Melissa Beecher at melissa.beecher@bc.edu

OTHER 2011 FINNEGAN AWARD FINALISTS Susan Choy, an operations management and marketing major in the Carroll School of Management with an American Studies minor (concentration in Asian American Studies), has been an active student leader since her freshman year. The 2011 Dr. Donald Brown Award winner for extraordinary contributions to the greater AHANA community, Choy worked as chiefof-staff of the AHANA Leadership Council, AHANA Caucus co-director, AHANA Caucus representative and vice president of the Southeast Asian Student Association.

An honors student in the Lynch School of Education, Robyn Antonucci has been a UGBC senator, peer advisor for the First Year Professional Development Program and co-chair of corporate sponsorship, team development and the ceremonies committee of BC Relay for Life. Antonucci’s combination of service and scholarship included serving as a research assistant to former LSOE Dean Joseph O’Keefe, SJ, an intern at the American Cancer Society, and a volunteer at the Hogar

Bethel Orphanage in Argentina and the Jackson-Mann School in Boston.

Scott Landay, a CSOM finance major with a philosophy minor, has worked with the PULSE program for four years, volunteered at the Pine Street Inn, was director of Eagle Ops and is a Portico standout. Landay cites his experience at PULSE and the PULSE Council as “something I will take with me for the rest of my life.”

He will go to work as a consultant at PwC Advisory after volunteering this summer serving the less fortunate in Kenya.

Connell School of Nursing student Molly Rosenwasser’s leadership is colored by a desire to support and appreciate cultural awareness. A member of the Jenks Leadership Program, 4-Boston, participant in the Appalachia service trip, volunteer at a community hospital in Grahamstown, South Africa and Haiti, and mentor for the Keys to Inclusive Leadership in Nursing Program, Rosenwasser strives to better the global community.

Archive on Northern Ireland’s ‘Troubles’ Faces Federal Subpoena Boston College has been served a subpoena by the US Attorney’s Office on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) requesting two tapes that were recorded as part of the University’s Oral History Archive on the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

The oral history project, which was directed by author and former Irish Times journalist Ed Moloney, and overseen by Executive Director of Irish Programs and University Professor of History Thomas E. Hachey and Burns Librarian Robert K. O’Neill, contains dozens of personal accounts from individuals on both sides of the violent struggle that engulfed Northern Ireland between 1970 and 1998, including former members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). The sub-

poena requests tapes of recordings of former IRA members Brendan Hughes, who died in 2008, and Dolours Price, who were interviewed for the project by republican Anthony McIntyre under the assurances of confidentiality. Tapes of conversations with former UVF members in Northern Ireland recorded by loyalist Wilson McArthur were not requested in the subpoena.

“Boston College is reviewing the subpoena from the US Attorney’s Office and is requesting additional information in light of the ramifications it poses regarding the safety of those involved, the impact on oral history projects, and the effect on the peace process in Northern Ireland,” said University Spokesman Jack Dunn.

“As an international leader in Irish programs and a trusted broker by all

sides in the Northern Irish peace process, our sole intention with this project has been to help preserve the testimony of the participants and to promote peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland,” he said.

Boston College has played a longstanding role in the Northern Ireland peace process. Faculty member and theologian Raymond Helmick, SJ, has served as a mediator in the conflict negotiations, Political Science Professor Marc Landy instructed members of the fledgling Northern Irish Assembly on power sharing, BC faculty have offered courses on peace and conflict resolution studies at universities in Northern Ireland, and former Alumni Association Director Kathleen O’Toole, a 1976 graduate, served on the Patten Commission that oversaw the reform of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, which had long

been criticized for its treatment of Ulster’s minority Catholic population. Most recently, Boston College was chosen as the repository for the archive of Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, which oversaw the disarming of the Irish Republican Army and other paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland.

In addition, since 1997, the University’s Irish Institute, with the support of the US State Department, has sponsored programs that bring together professionals from government, education, non-profits and business from both the Republic and Northern Ireland, to promote peace and reconciliation by advocating cross-border and cross-community cooperation.

Since 2000, the Center for Irish Programs has served as the organiza-

tional umbrella for the University’s Irish initiatives and resources, including the Irish Studies Program, the Irish Institute and the Dublin-based Centre for Irish Programmes facility on St. Stephen’s Green.

Dunn said the common thread throughout all of these programs has been to promote peace on an island whose history is inextricably linked to that of Boston College and the United States. “Our overriding concern regarding the subpoena is the threat the release of the tapes may pose in derailing the peace initiatives that we as a University have long supported and helped to achieve,” he said. “So we will consider all our legal options as we determine who best to address the subpoena in weeks to come.”

—Office of News & Public Affairs

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 26, 2011

8

Opening Minds to the World, One Film at a Time

For 10 years, BC’s Jacques Salmanowitz program has encouraged and inspired student filmmakers with interest in social justice and global issues

BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

Boston College students have traveled across the globe, from Mt. Kilimanjaro to Chile and from Haiti to Israel, over the past year to document social justice issues under the aegis of the Jacques Salmanowitz Program for Moral Courage in Film, which marked its 10th anniversary at BC this spring.

All 12 of this year’s Salmanowitz films were screened at last month’s Arts Festival before a standing room-only crowd.

Among the films shown were “Porters on the Stone of God,” an investigative look at the working conditions of the porters who assist guide groups climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. The porters, who make six US dollars a day, often are forced to climb with shoddy equipment and have their tips stolen by their guides, according to the film’s co-producers, senior political science major Benjamin Key ’11 (writer/director) and film studies and communication major Chris Battaglia ’11 (cameraman and editor).

“The system is corrupt from the top down in many cases,

said Key. “But there are ethical companies, and there are organizations — most significantly the Kilimanjaro Assistance Project — who are helping. We wanted to get the word out about this issue, because really, it’s in the hands of the tourists. An American, for example, who wants to climb, should simply climb with an ethical company – and the film explains how to figure that out — and they should tip their porters directly. Those two simple things make all the difference.”

Seniors Brianna LeRose, a 2011 Arts Council award winner, and Elizabeth Rodriguez went to the US-Mexican border in Arizona to document the story of female immigrants for their film “The Other Side of the Fence.”

“We were shocked about how serious anti-immigration policies are in Arizona. We had no idea how extreme they were, and how severely they are impacting many people’s lives, immigrants or not,” said LeRose, a film studies major and an international studies minor. “We wanted to show the perspective of some immigrant women themselves. Through my Salmanowitz project, I’ve become educated and very passionate

Fine Arts Professor John Michalczyk, left, director of the Jacques Salmanowitz Program for Moral Courage in Film, talks with Benjamin Key ’11 during a recent campus screening of films produced through the program, including Key’s.

about immigration policy.”

Launched in March 2001, the Jacques Salmanowitz Program for Moral Courage in Film aims to encourage the production of social justice films focused on issues of human rights, civic concerns and acts of moral courage, providing role models for youth worldwide.

Directed by Fine Arts Professor and documentary filmmaker John Michalczyk, the program — named for a Swiss businessman who helped individuals escape Nazi Germany in World War II — is funded via a renewable grant from the Jacques Salmanowitz

family in Switzerland under the aegis of the Foundation for Moral Courage (formerly Documentaries International Film and Video Foundation) of Washington, DC. The Salmanowitz Program helps student filmmakers by funding travel and living expenses, loaning camera equipment, and through mentoring and workshops.

Past Salmanowitz student film projects have examined revolution in Bolivia, racism in Australia, the construction of a mosque in Boston, AIDS in South Africa, the disabled in Uganda, and the life

of Nazi resistance leader Sophie Scholl, among other topics.

Michalczyk, who chairs Fine Arts and co-directs the Film Studies Program with Fine Arts Professor Rev. Richard Blake, SJ, noted that students’ projects have grown more ambitious over the years.

“BC is opening students’ minds to global issues, global plights and you see this influence in their film projects. The students’ technical skills are more advanced and the result is a more professional finished project.”

Contact Kathleen Sullivan at kathleen.sullivan@bc.edu

Exchange with Chinese University Begins ministrators say, students from BC will study at Macau.

Vice Provost for UnderJames Chon Ieng Law, an graduate Academic Affairs and exchange student from the Professor of Political Science Honours College at University Donald Hafner said the new of Macau, China, said he was program allows honors students startled the first time he wit- both in China and at BC to nessed a student at Boston Col- engage in a meaningful crosslege challenge a statement made cultural exchange. by a professor.

“Forty percent of our stu“I was shocked. In our cul- dents study abroad. It is useful ture, it is considered very dis- for students headed out into the respectful to do such a thing,” world to have exposure to intersaid Law. “I was national students shocked even in classroom set“Having the Macau more when the tings. When they Honours College stu- return, seeing inprofessor answered and the dents here broadly ben- ternational peers class became more here studying of a debate. It’s efits the fullness of what alongside them is been one of the it means to experience a a reminder that big differences, we live in a larger, BC education.” and is one of the global communireasons I have en—Donald Hafner ty,” said Hafner. joyed the teachers “Having the in America.”

Macau Honours Law and sevCollege students en other Macau students have here broadly benefits the fullmade up the first class in a Bos- ness of what it means to experiton College-University of Ma- ence a BC education,” Hafner cau Honors Exchange Program. said.

The program will take place The University of Macau was each spring semester, with 10 established in 1981 as the UniMacau students expected next versity of East Asia, just outside year. As the program grows, ad- of Hong Kong. It is currently

BY MELISSA BEECHER STAFF WRITER

Dennis Cheng ’12. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini)

Junior Wins Chemistry Scholarship Dennis Cheng ’12 has been awarded a Richards-Norris Summer Research Scholarship to support research in the Boston College Merkert Chemistry Center.

Cheng, a Newton native, will study the development of enantioenriched scaffolding ligands — ions or molecules that bind to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex — for the asymmetric hydroformylation of homoallylic alcohols that would favor the formation of the branched aldehyde in high enantiomeric excess. He will investigate structure activity relationship for both the selectivity and reactivity of the ligands.

The project also will involve a publication of his research findings in the Northeast Sector of American Chemical Society’s journal The Nucleus, and a poster presentation at the Northeast Student Chemistry Research Conference next April.

“This project is meaningful to me is a couple of ways,” said Cheng. “Academically, it will serve as the starting point of my senior thesis, which will be an intellectual synthesis of what I have learned in my four years at BC. Professionally, this project and the fellowship will allow me to have the chance to publish in a journal and enable me to exchange and see what other chemistry students in different colleges are researching.”

Following graduation next spring, Cheng plans to work in biomedical research and apply for medical school.

—Ed Hayward

the largest university in Macau, with 7,000 students and 400 teaching staff members. Hafner said the partnership began when the Dean of Macau Honours College, Professor K. M. Mok, contacted Boston College looking to form a relationship with an institution boasting a strong liberal arts program.

The Macau students arrived in January and studied alongside BC honors students in a variety of courses.

Law, who took courses at the Carroll School of Management, said he especially enjoyed his organizational behavior class.

Outside the classroom, he explored Boston, New York City and Disneyland, and plans on traveling to Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco before returning home this summer.

“I learned about different cultures and learned how to build relationships and make friends. Even though we come from very different educational systems, I was able to make relationships here and look forward to seeing them again when they travel to Macau,” said Law. Contact Melissa Beecher at melissa.beecher@bc.edu

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 26, 2011

9

PARTING THOUGHTS REFLECTIONS FROM 2011 RETIREES

NAMES: Peter and Rita Olivieri YEARS AT BC: 42 (Peter), 33 (Rita) POSITIONS: Associate Professor for Information Systems, Carroll School of Management (Peter), Associate Professor for Adult Health Nursing, Connell School of Nursing (Rita) Peter: “My favorite memory at BC is the day I received a call from a Kathy Nash, asking if she could bring her 11-year-old son to my lab. She had heard about the EagleEyes system that Professor Jim Gips and I invented that allows you to move the cursor on the computer screen using your eyes. Her son, Michael, was paralyzed from the neck down with cerebral palsy and he was diagnosed as having the mentality of a three year old. She did not believe it.

“We set Michael up with the EagleEyes system and put two buttons on the computer screen. One indicated YES, the other NO. Michael, to everyone’s amazement, slowly moved his eyes to the right buttons and started correctly answering questions about things his family had talked about over the last 11 years.

A quite bright mind was liberated from a body that refused to function. I still get chills recalling that special day. By the way, Michael graduated with his class from high school.”

Rita: “The awesome part of teaching in the clinical setting was that I was able to share in the students’ excitement of ‘experiencing and connecting with the nursing role.’ This happens in different ways and at different times during the course of the semester. Sometimes it was the connection that they had with a special patient, sometimes it was the caring and empathy that they showed for a patient in a complex and difficult medical situation, and sometimes it was simply their high level of motivation to learn the clinical reasoning necessary to be a nurse. The lasting memory for me is the joy of observing the transformation from

BC student to BC nursing student.”

Retirees, 25-Year Employees to Be Honored on June 1 Administrators, faculty and staff who have retired or are marking 25 years of service to Boston College will be honored June 1 at a special dinner to be hosted by University President William P. Leahy, SJ. Retiring this year are Joseph Appleyard, SJ, Michael Callnan, Ruth Chobit, Mary Lou Connelly, Esther Duray, Celeste Finison, Judith Kissane, Thomas Owens, Catherine Toran, Barbara Viechnicki, Harvey Egan, SJ, Walter Haney, G. Ramsay Liem, Ritchie Lowry, Charles Meyer, Sandra Mott, C. Peter Olivieri, Rita Olivieri, John Steczynski and Judith Wilt.

Olivieris By the Numbers Combined totals for Peter and Rita Olivieri, their three children and their children’s spouses Years working at BC: 120 years Years as students at BC: 33 Total time family associated with BC: 153 years Number of BC degrees: 12

Twenty-five year administrators, faculty and staff are Jenny Baglivo, Frances Bates, Janet Bates, Giovanni Buonopane, James Clements, Jeffrey Cohen, Stephanie Coleman, David Corkum, Mary Crane, James Cronin, Mary Cronin, Mary Devlin, June Dunkley, Margery Ferry, Samuel Graves, Robert Gross, Stuart Hecht, Fr. Robert Imbelli, Richard Jefferson, Carolyn Jupiter-McIntosh, Mary Keane, Paul Kerrigan, Jose Martinez, Francisco Martins, Christopher Matthews, Joana Maynard, Joanne McAulay, James McInnis, Gil Miranda, Michael Mitsukawa, Elizabeth Napolitano, Rita Nicholson, Marcela Norton.

Also marking 25 years are Cidalia Pereira, James Repetti, Elizabeth Rhodes, Janet Ringuest, Jeffrey Ringuest, John Sachs, Kevin Saffo, Kenneth Schwartz, Laurie Shepard, Robert Sherwood, Luisa Sical, Sergio Sical, Laurie Simard, Howard Singer, Carlos Sousa, Mark Sullivan, Lisa Taddeo, Albert Travaglini, Victoria Varno, Sandra Waddock, Gerald Wall, Scott Washburn and Lamar Wright.

—Office of News & Public Affairs

Photos by Lee Pellegrini

NAME: Harvey Egan, SJ YEARS AT BC: 36 POSITION: Professor of Theology, College of Arts and Sciences “I have good memories of the quality of my undergraduate and graduate students. A special gift to Jesuits (and to their universities) is the opportunity not only to teach students, but also to be of priestly service to them: their marriages, baptisms, anointing of the sick, and the like --to be involved not only in their academic life but also in their spiritual-liturgical lives.”

NAME: Mary Lou Connelly YEARS AT BC: 37 POSITION: Secretary to University Vice President William B. Neenan, SJ, for last 30 years “I’ve had some interesting conversations with faculty over the years, and met some fascinating people through Fr. Neenan. I’ve also gotten some good reading suggestions through Fr. Neenan’s ‘Dean’s List’ [his annual list of recommended books]; my favorite was Kristin Lavransdatter, which I probably never would have thought to read if not for his recommendation. Fortunately, my granddaughter will be coming to BC this fall as a freshman, so I’ll still be around.”

NAME: G. Ramsay Liem YEARS AT BC: 40 POSITION: Professor of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences “It’s difficult to imagine leaving Boston College after so many years.

Much has changed since I came to be part of an innovative graduate program applying psychological theory, research, and practice to issues of social and racial inequality. But the university ethos of education for social justice and service to others has always attracted faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, and administrators and staff with whom it has been my fortune to collaborate and I am grateful for their colleagueship. I look forward to continuing many of these relationships through part-time teaching in the Psychology Department

and the Asian American Studies Program, and joining the Center for Human Rights and International Justice as a visiting fellow.”

relationship that has developed between the Lynch School and Holy Family.”

NAME: Ritchie P. Lowry YEARS AT BC: 45 POSITION: Professor of Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences “I’ll miss teaching and interaction with the students. I can still read, do research, write, and attend meetings, but I will not have the opportunity to experience the views and perspectives of different generations of young people. Teaching is also a matter of learning from your students. I have loved teaching for other reasons as well. At my age (85) I have experienced and lived through World War II, the Cold War, McCarthyism, the Civil Rights Movement, opposition to the Vietnam War, and much more.

I have been able to share these experiences with my students and use social theory and perspectives to help them understand what happened and the implications for current society. BC students are generally among the most committed to social and economic justice issues, and they have responded very well to the ideas I have shared with them. I will miss them both on the graduate and undergraduate level.”

NAME: Walt Haney YEARS AT BC: 29 POSITION: Professor, Department of Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation, Lynch School of Education “I will miss the people, the wonderful, wonderful people. Working with talented and eager graduate students. There are many I couldname, but mention now just one: Cengiz Gulek. He was brilliant, incredibly hard working and funny.

Even as he was dying, he reached out to tease me.” [Editor’s Note: Cengiz (James) Gulek PhD ’99 died of cancer in January of 2010 at age 41.]

NAME: John Cawthorne YEARS AT BC: 23 POSITION: Associate Dean for Undergraduate Student Services, Lynch School of Education “I will miss watching the students grow into mature and responsible young women and men.

My favorite memory is the 14-year partnership with the Holy Family School in Natchez, Miss., and the

NAME: Judith Wilt YEARS AT BC: 33 POSITION: Newton College Alumnae Professor in Western Culture, English Department, College of Arts and Sciences “I’m still working with five PhD students who are doing exams or writing dissertations, and I hope to teach one course a year in the English department for a few more years, since I’d like to be connected with the University during its 150th year anniversary celebration. But I will miss that day to day sense of involvement in the lives of scores of new young people every year, and especially the sense I developed over the past 33 years of being to a degree responsible for and a participant in the development of a grand institution with a profoundly important history.”

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Chronicle MAY 26, 2011

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Regulation No ‘Dirty Word’ New book by Fr. McGowan weighs the benefits of privatization

BC Lends Helping Hand to Soldiers Legacy Fund eral, and how students should prepare for college – especially selective schools – as well as finanSeveral members of the Boston cial aid information that could be College community are lending helpful in addition to any type of their support – and their skills – MSLF grant that is available. to a Massachusetts organization Mahoney has also contacted that provides higher education his professional counterparts opportunities for the children of at Harvard University, Boston military service members from University, Tufts University and the Bay State who have lost their the University of Massachusetts, lives in Iraq or Afghanistan. and received equally enthusiastic Thomas Jennings ’95 is a promises of educational guidance trustee of Massaand consideration chusetts Soldiers for the children of Legacy Fund, “Even if we don’t get deceased military a Boston-based members. some of those kids to group founded in “These children 2004 to provide will be coming come to BC, there is though the admiseducation-focused assistance grants definitely a role we can sions pipeline in for the sons and the next few years daughters of the to come,” says Maplay for them.” state’s fallen heroes. honey. “This group —John Mahoney Jr. has laid the foundaThere are currently 71 children tion for them. Even of deceased military if we don’t get some members eligible of those kids to for the financial assistance – sev- come to BC, there is definitely a eral of them approaching college role we can play for them.” age.

Jennings, who graduated from Jennings has enlisted the as- BC with degrees in economics sistance of the University’s Direc- and theology, said in an e-mail tor of Undergraduate Admission, that although he never served in John L. Mahoney Jr., to provide the military himself, he has “a knowledge and perspective for deep appreciation for the freethe children and their families. dom that we enjoy as Ameri“Tom and I have been talking cans.” about this for more than a year The Legacy Fund organizanow,” says Mahoney, “and he has tion held a leadership fundraising mentioned that the fund is grow- breakfast at Boston’s Mandarin ing and the children are closer to Oriental Hotel this past Wednesthe age when they are beginning day with a goal of adding $1 to look at college. million to the program’s coffers.

“Since our initial conversa- University Trustee John Fish was tion, I have been struck by what a co-chair of the event. a wonderful project this is,” says For more information on the Mahoney. “My response was Massachusetts Soldiers Legacy ‘Count me in.’”

Fund, see http://www.mslfund.org Mahoney has offered to meet with families to talk about the Contact Reid Oslin at reid.oscollege admission process in gen- lin@bc.edu

BY REID OSLIN STAFF WRITER

BY ED HAYWARD STAFF WRITER

To supporters of efforts to convert government functions into private-sector enterprises, privatization is synonymous with efficiency and market competition.

To detractors, privatization can instead result in fraud, cronyism and waste.

In his new book, Privatize This, Adjunct Associate Professor of Economics Richard A. McGowan, SJ, takes a look at the gush of privatization that emerged from the Bush administration between 2001 and 2008 and tries to determine if American taxpayers, and consumers, were well-served by the efforts.

In Fr. McGowan’s eyes, the question is whether using taxpayer dollars to engage private companies is always more effective and less expensive than allowing government agencies to provide the services?

“One of the things that has always interested me is when government gets into an industry and when government gets out of one,” says Fr. McGowan, a renowned expert on the “sin” industries of alcohol, cigarettes and gambling and the author of six prior books. “Quite often, what we see are governments under extreme financial stress.

When you privatize an enterprise, government gets an immediate payment and then it can tax the revenue derived from that enterprise under private manage-

ment.”

To determine whether these efforts to privatize are more about private profit or the public good, Fr. McGowan cites a range of enterprises at the heart of the privatization debate: state-run lotteries and liquor stores, European regulation of cigarette sales, military contractors, government-run

“You can’t just put something to a financial test. Just because something is efficient, if people can’t use it, then how does that serve the public good?”

—Richard McGowan, SJ Photo by Lee Pellegrini casinos, privately-run interstate turnpikes and toll roads, even an experiment in privatized parking meters in Chicago.

These examples are judged against the tests of whether or not enterprises are run more efficiently in private hands, or whether or not privatization infringes on the equal distribution of goods and services previously made available to all through government.

“We constantly have a battle between making things efficient and making things equitable and within reach,” says Fr. McGowan, who teaches in the Carroll School of Management.

“You can’t just put something to a financial test. Just because something is efficient, if people can’t use it, then how does that serve the public good?”

While nations around the world have divergent approaches to privatization, Fr. McGowan says the primary sticking point in the US is a cultural and political resistance to government’s role in the marketplace.

“We put such a stress on individual liberty,” says Fr. McGowan. “We always want to be entrepreneurial and government is seen as being anti-entrepreneurial, as stifling entrepreneurship. Our instinct is the less the amount of government, the better, so let’s get government out of the market.”

In reality, the public’s wellbeing may be best protected by government either as a provider of services or as a regulatory authority.

“Regulation is not a dirty word,” says Fr. McGowan. “You are going to have to regulate some types of industries and, in some cases, highly regulate them. You may want to keep government out, but clearly they are going to have to regulate certain industries.”

Contact Ed Hayward at ed.hayward@bc.edu

CLOSE INSPECTION

2011 Reunion Weekend to Include Program for Veterans Boston College graduates who have served in the military are invited to participate in a new Reunion Weekend program for veterans to be held June 4 at 11 a.m. on Bapst Library lawn.

The event will include welcoming remarks from University Chancellor J. Donald Monan, SJ; a remembrance and reading of the citation for Army Capt. Joseph X. Grant ’61, the University’s only Medal of Honor recipient; an update on BC’s Army ROTC program by Lt. Col. Gary M. Soldato; and a viewing and reflection at the campus Veterans’ Memorial wall.

The event is open to all reunion and non-reunion year veterans and their families and friends.

Registration for the veterans’ event is available at http://bit. ly/iHlmD8.

—Reid Oslin

“The Discovery Ducks” — youngsters from the Boston College Child Care Center — received a tour of the Stokes Hall construction site earlier this month from Facilities Management. For an update on the Stokes project and other campus construction, see page 3. To see more photos, see http://bit.ly/jz9SQp (Photo courtesy of Mary Nardone, Facilities Management)

T he B oston C ollege

Chronicle MAY 26, 2011

Competition is close among Boston College alumni classes to be among the first four groups of graduates to reach participation goals in University Advancement’s “Race to the Finish Challenge” and earn the honor of having a $100,000 scholarship named in honor of their class.

The challenge campaign, which has at least a dozen classes vying for the top four slots before the end of BC’s fiscal year on May 31, is aimed at boosting both alumni participation as well as supporting the University’s on-going $1.6 billion “Light the World” campaign.

“Boston College undergraduate alumni really identify themselves with their graduating class,” says Director of Classes, Annual Giving Deborah Ianno. “There is a great dose of really healthy competition among the classes. The ‘Race to the Finish’ is all participation-based, which is one of the pillars of our campaign. It is going very well.”

At press time, the Class of 1957 was in the lead for the scholarship naming honor with a 90 percent-of-goal participation rate. However, Advancement administrators say that a number of other classes are in the running for the scholarship naming rights as the fiscal year deadline approaches.

“One of the nice things about having a participation goal is that everyone counts equally – no matter the amount of the gift that they are making,” notes Ianno. “Any gift counts toward the class goal.”

The “Race to the Finish” class competition is the latest challenge or scholarship-naming incentive organized by University Advancement in recent years. “We started with the Father Neenan Challenge in 2009,” says Ianno, referring to the participation-based campaign inaugurated in honor of BC’s beloved Jesuit academician and administrator. “Last year, we had an Alumni Participation Challenge that included 26,840 alumni donors – an increase over the first year, and we had a GOLD [Graduates Of Last Decade] Challenge last fall that saw an increase of 21 percent – more than 500 new donors – over the previous year.”

The current “Race to the Finish” campaign was launched in January and Ianno hopes it will wind up with a flourish. “May is always an exciting time for BC and for the work that we do. We are hoping for an exciting finish.”

—Reid Oslin

Small Business Admin.

Taps CSOM’s McClellan Carroll School of Management Associate Professor Hassell McClellan has been appointed to the US Small Business Administration’s Council on Underserved Communities (CUC).

McClellan, who teaches in the Operations and Strategic Management Department, has previously worked in corporate banking with Harris Trust in Chicago and as a faculty member at the Harvard Business School. McClellan’s specialties include strategic management and global competitiveness.

He is the author of several case studies, as well as a book on the banking industry, Managing Onebank Holding Companies.

Building on SBA’s core programs and Recovery initiatives, the CUC will provide input, advice and recommendations on strategies to help strengthen competitiveness and sustainability for small businesses in underserved communities. These strategies will be focused on increasing entrepreneurship and technical assistance, creating new and strengthening existing outreach and training, and raising awareness in underserved communities of SBA programs and services.

The 20-member council is chaired by Catherine Hughes, founder and chairperson of Radio One and TV One, and will have 20 members who represent a diverse range of backgrounds and geographic areas.

“One of SBA’s core missions is to support small businesses in traditionally underserved communities, including minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities and in rural areas,” SBA Deputy Administrator Marie Johns said.

“The Council on Underserved Communities will provide valuable insight and advice into how we can ensure that small businesses in these communities throughout the country have access to the tools they need to grow, create jobs and win the future.”

The CUC’s first meeting will be held in July, in Washington, DC. Before the first meeting, members of the CUC will hold listening sessions in their regions to hear from small business owners and members of the community about what they need from the SBA. The CUC is part of the SBA’s ongoing efforts to expand its reach into underserved communities.

While the nation’s economic recovery is moving forward, that recovery has been uneven, particularly for socially, economically and geographically disadvantaged small business owners. To help SBA better address the challenges facing small business owners, the CUC will meet regularly and advise SBA on ways to increase access to capital and promote sustainability, growth, and job creation.

—Ed Hayward

NEWSMAKERS Asst. Prof. Dominic Papineau (Earth and Environmental Sciences) and colleagues published an article in Nature Geoscience about their research, which reveals tell-tale carbon deposits laced throughout ancient rock may actually be millions of years younger than the rock itself, raising questions about the timing of life’s early emergence.

BC-Ireland Academic Director Mike Cronin provided commentary for the BBC during the historic visit to the Republic of Ireland of Queen Elizabeth II, who also was presented with a copy of The GAA: A People’s History, a book on the Gaelic Athletic Association co-authored by Cronin.

Lynch School of Education Monan Professor Philip Altbach, director of the Center for International Higher Education, wrote in Times Higher Education about the challenges facing Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plans for higher education.

Lee Pellegrini

Final Leg for BC’s ‘Race to the Finish Challenge’

11

The Worcester Telegram and Gazette ran a profile of Assoc. Prof.

Rachel Freudenburg, (German Studies) and her documentary “FREYA!” that was screened at Worcester’s Hibernian Cultural Center.

PUBLICATIONS Gasson Professor of Fine Arts Andrea Vicini, SJ, published “Living with Indigenous Com-

BC BRIEFING

Bloomberg Business Week included 2007 graduates and former Presidential Scholars Rich Aberman and Bill Clerico — founders of online money collection startup WePay — among its list of the best young tech entrepreneurs of 2011.

University Historian Thomas O’Connor wrote in The Pilot about the public’s changed perceptions of Irish Catholics — labeled by the “Know-Nothing” legislature of Massachusetts as a lawless and violent people — for their courage and gallantry in defending Fort Sumter against attack.

munities in Chiapas, Mexico: The Transformative Power of Poverty and Suffering” in Ethnography as Christian Theology and Ethics, and “Per una lettura teologicomorale nella malattia: fragilità e vulnerabilità (A Theological Reflection on Illness: Fragility and Vulnerability),” in Rivista di Teologia Morale. In addition, Fr. Vicini and Founders Professor of Theology James Keenan, SJ, published, “O futuro da Bioética” (“The Future of Bioethics”) in the Brazilian journal Bioethikos.

HONORS/ Center for Financial Literacy A P P O I N T M E N T S Director Steven Sass was interviewed by the Seattle Times for an article on the consequences of late-career layoffs.

Adj. Assoc. Prof. Michael C. Keith (Communication) has been selected as July’s Connotation Press “Writer of the Month” for his short story, “iDead.”

OBITUARY

John Van Tassel, 85; Taught at CSOM Almost 50 Years A funeral Mass was celebrated May 13 at Saint Elizabeth Church in Milton for retired Carroll School of Management Professor John Van Tassel, who died May 8 after a long illness.

He was 85.

Dr. Van Tassel taught in CSOM for 48 years — mainly in the Operations and Strategic Management Department — and also served as associate dean from 1960-63 and associate dean and director from 1963-69.

Colleagues praised Dr. Van Tassel as an early advocate for computers in management education who was instrumental in their installation and use at Boston College. Galligan Professor of Strategy Sandra Waddock described him as “a pioneer” for developing a computer-based simulation that placed students in decision-marking roles as company managers.

Dr. Van Tassel retired in 2003 and was an officer in the Boston College Association of Retired Faculty.

A Natick native, US Army veteran and model train enthusiast, Dr. Van Tassel graduated from Boston College High School and earned bachelor’s and master’s degree from Boston College, as well as a doctorate from Harvard University.

He is survived by his wife, Joan, and his sister, Barbara Enagonio; he was pre-deceased by his sister Elisabeth. Burial took place at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne.

—Office of News & Public Affairs

TIME AND A HALF Prof. Richard Schrader (English) gave a talk on medieval allegory to the Ministerial Fellowship at Copeland Oaks in Sebring, Ohio.

Economics faculty made the following presentations: •Roche Professor of Economics Arthur Lewbel, “Regression Discontinuity Marginal Threshold Treatment Effects,” and Asst.

Prof. Mathis Wagner (Economics), “The Heterogeneous Labor Market Effects of Immigration,” Royal Economic Society Annual Conference, University of London. Lewbel also chaired a session at the conference.

•Asst. Prof. Georg Strasser, “Why Do Certain Macroeconomic News Announcements Have a Big Impact on Asset Prices,” HUKU Copenhagen Conference. He also chaired a session and was a discussant at the Campus for Finance-Research Conference 2011 at WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany.

•Professors Susanto Basu and Peter Gottschalk and graduate student Alessandro Barattieri, “Some Evidence on the Importance of Sticky Wages,” 16th Annual Meetings of the Society of Labor Economics in Vancouver, Canada.

JOB LISTINGS The following are among the most recent positions posted by the Department of Human Resources. For more information on employment opportunities at Boston College, see http://www.bc.edu/offices/hr: Locksmith, Facilities Management Housing Assignments Specialist, Residential Life Associate Vice President, Residential Life Associate Director, Classes & Reunions, Law School - Alumni and Development Associate Dean, Finance and Administration, College of Arts & Sciences Senior Machinist, Scientific Instrmnt & Mchn Svs Sr. Scientific Electronics Specialist, Scientific Instrmnt & Mchn Svs Teacher Assistant, Lynch School of Education - Campus School Special Education Teacher, Lynch School of Education - Campus School Systems Administrator, Office of International Students and Scholars Writer/Editor, Trends in Mathematics & Science Study Sr. Assoc, Assoc, Asst. Director Corporate & Foundation Relations Associate Director, Online Communications & Marketing, Development Resident In Athletic Training, Athletic Association - Sports Medicine

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Chronicle MAY 26, 2011

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Continued from page 1 PROJECT: By teaching English to future teachers, Coreth hopes to learn more about how immigration, ethnic heritage and foreign-language learning is viewed and accepted in another culture.

PLANS: Pursue a master’s degree in Latin American studies and public policy with the goal of entering a career in the public or non-profit sector.

“Learning a foreign language and living abroad have been two of the highlights of my Boston College career. Receiving the Fulbright is an opportunity to pursue academic studies in an educational and cultural environment completely different than our own – and I am ecstatic to have received the opportunity. As a student interested in migration studies, Argentina is the perfect place to study the diaspora of Europeans, Africans and Latin Americans in another country.”

NAME: Kelly Dalla Tezza (Alternate) HOMETOWN: Baltimore DESTINATION: Bahrain PROJECT: Conduct analysis of the social and economic factors that have fostered women’s success in Bahraini politics, and examine the prospects for this trend elsewhere in the region.

PLANS: Pursue graduate degree in Middle Eastern studies or attend law school; possible future career in foreign service or international organization.

NAME: Patrick Feeney HOMETOWN: Washington, DC DESTINATION: Germany PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship in a German secondary school.

PLANS: Pursue employment opportunities in the international and/or educational arenas before possibly obtaining a graduate degree in preparation for a career in the foreign service or in academe.

“I am thrilled to travel to Germany as an ambassador for the United States. Boston College, particularly the German [Studies] Department, has equipped me with skills that I am eager to employ as I work with young students next year. Personally, I haven’t been convinced that I want to become a teacher yet, but teaching next year will certainly be an enriching experience and provide many lifelong benefits.”

NAME: Drew Firmender ’10 HOMETOWN: Roxbury, Conn.

DESTINATION: Brazil PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship at Federal University of Rio De Janeiro.

PLANS: Work for a Brazilian-American company.

“Fulbright is the realization of serving others abroad as an American, and opening a discourse which seeks to improve other cultures. I have chosen Brazil because I have a deep affection for the country and its people, and wish to further engage through language and education.”

NAME: Samuel Han HOMETOWN: Irvine, Calif.

DESTINATION: South Korea PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship PLANS: Law school, followed by a career focused on international social justice and human rights “I hope that this blessed experience will expand my knowledge of the Korean culture so that I am well equipped with the language and cultural skills that would allow me to pursue my aspirations of working with Korea on the international level.”

NAME: Katelyn Jones HOMETOWN: St. Louis DESTINATION: Germany

NAME: Colin Powers ’08 HOMETOWN: Hastings, NY DESTINATION: Bulgaria PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship PLANS: Graduate school in international education, international conflict resolution or Middle East Studies.

“I applied for an ETA program to improve my skills as an educator, to learn from and interact with a fascinating population, to represent our country Fulbright Scholarship winners (L-R) Katelyn Jones, Emily McCormick, Sebastian Agredo, Samu- with dignity, and to el Han, Kelly McCartney, Theresa Lengauer, Lauren Blodgett, Anna Kozlowski, Elizabeth Muller, conduct independent Madeline McSherry, Lake Coreth and David Tapia. (Photo by Lee Pellegrini) research in a country that is dynamically and vibrantly redefinPROJECT: English Teaching Assistant- educational experiences for a career in ing itself.” ship education NGOs. PLANS: To pursue a doctorate in Ger- “I feel that the opportunity to pursue an NAME: Caitlin Rowe man studies or religion and politics, seek English Teaching Assistantship is the per- HOMETOWN: Watchung, NJ career opportunities in the international fect culmination to my undergraduate ca- DESTINATION: Germany sector of government and eventually teach reer at BC. It merges my academic interest PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantat the university level. in linguistics with my volunteer experience ship in North Rhine-Westphalia.

“The ETA Fulbright grant will be an in tutoring and gives me the opportunity PLANS: Undecided opportunity for me to bring what I’ve to travel and experience a new culture. It “I am excited for the opportunity to learned at Boston College to my students is also a testament to the remarkable work give back to one German community in Germany. A year in Germany will and influence of [Slavic and Eastern Lan- by igniting teenage students’ passion for give me the chance to be completely im- guages and Literatures] Professor Marga- English and the United States. I hope to mersed in the German culture — without ret Thomas, the Undergraduate Fulbright help elevate my classes’ comprehension of the protective blanket of a study abroad Program Director, who piqued my inter- English by teaching them expressions and program or the guidance of a home uni- est in the Vietnamese language through manners of speaking not found in gramversity. I believe that this year will be one her Linguistic Field Methods course. I feel mar books. It is an honor and a privilege of personal growth and help to guide me truly blessed to have had her as a mentor to be embarking on this new journey in in my professional and academic future.” throughout my undergraduate career.” the fall, and I hope that upon my return NAME: Anna Kozlowski HOMETOWN: Ansonia, Conn.

DESTINATION: Poland PROJECT: To study and evaluate the efforts of the government of Poland to combat human trafficking as caused by globalization, growing economic disparities and stringent migration laws.

PLANS: Law school, concentrating on human rights law.

“As the child of Polish immigrants, I’ve always been interested in the Polish language, culture and history. Although my [BC] thesis is over, I feel as though my research has just begun. I hope to study at the University of Warsaw and slowly form connections that will give me the opportunity to interview politicians, judges and lawyers on the subject of human trafficking legislation and consequent trends.

I truly believe that this year of research abroad will give me a greater depth of knowledge and a better perspective on this terrible crime of modern slavery.”

NAME: Theresa Lengauer HOMETOWN: Cambridge DESTINATION: Germany PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship PLANS: Work as elementary school teacher.

“Teaching in a German school will offer insight into a different academic setting and the chance to teach on the international level. It will add to my passion for teaching and my interest in German culture. I can provide the perspective and enthusiasm of a student teacher, an Ultimate Frisbee player, and an American student.”

NAME: Kelly McCartney HOMETOWN: Ellicott City, Md. DESTINATION: Vietnam PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship PLANS: Earn a master’s degree in education while teaching in an urban school after her return, followed by business school to earn an MBA in non-profit management. Long-term goal is to combine her

NAME: Emily McCormick HOMETOWN: New Vernon, NJ DESTINATION: Taiwan PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship at an elementary school in Kaohsiung.

PLANS: Work with Jesuit Volunteer Corps, either internationally or in the Northwest Pacific Region, followed by graduate/professional school for international relations and law.

“I am thrilled about the opportunity to teach elementary school children in Taiwan, to become immersed in Taiwanese culture and to increase my proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. With this experience, I hope to improve cross-cultural relations between the United States and Taiwan.”

NAME: Madeline McSherry HOMETOWN: Red Hook, NY DESTINATION: Spain PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship; explore Spanish arts communities and literary traditions.

PLANS: Enroll in master’s degree program for bilingual education or translation and interpretation.

“I feel fortunate and excited to be working for an organization that depends on and promotes cooperation between nations.

The Fulbright grant will prepare me to better communicate as both an educator and a translator in this multicultural world.”

NAME: Elizabeth Muller HOMETOWN: Minneapolis DESTINATION: Nepal PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship PLANS: Graduate school for a degree in secondary education or community development.

“My undergraduate experiences have led me to the firm conclusion that the education of youth is vital for successful and sustainable community development. As an English teacher, I will use my passion and commitment to education to alert Nepali youth to their potential as com-

I will have taken away just as much from the program as I have taught inside the classroom. ”

Lee Pellegrini

Fellowship Winners

munity agents to create a sustainable future.”

NAME: Natalie Stokes ’06 HOMETOWN: Wrentham, Mass.

DESTINATION: United Kingdom PROJECT: Undertake a gender study titled “Sexual Assault Awareness as a Preventative Force.” She will complete a oneyear master’s degree program in “Gender, Violence and Conflict” at the University of York.

PLANS: Attend medical school in the fall of 2012 and pursue a career focused on combating gender discrimination and inequities in health care, incorporating clinical practice with research.

“The focus of my research will be on resiliency resources for prevention of sexual assault in an adolescent population. I will be working with local resources to establish a hotline and peer support group for survivors of sexual assault. Upon completion of my Fulbright year, I am planning to attend medical school. I am interested in practicing primary care medicine with a focus on women’s health.”

NAME: David Tapia (Alternate) HOMETOWN: North Andover, Mass.

DESTINATION: Germany PROJECT: English Teaching Assistantship PLANS: Obtain doctoral degree in political science through the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University; pursue a career in academia and continue to pursue research that will benefit global society.

“I aim to enhance my teaching skills, share my passion for American cinema and immerse myself in the German language and culture, which will be instrumental in my graduate research on European energy security issues.”

In addition, Fulbrights have been awarded to: Nicholas Courtney ’09, currently working for Teach for America in Hawaii, who will go to South Africa

to study the effects of apartheid on educational achievement and the solutions that are presently being tried; Jerome Veith, a doctoral student in philosophy, who will pursue research at the University of Freiburg in Germany for his dissertation on the philosopher Georg Gadamer; and Lynch School of Education 2011 master’s degree recipient Agatha Wozniak, who will be teaching English in Poland.

Other 2011 fellowship-winning seniors include: •Amanda Rothschild, a Rhodes Scholarship finalist who was one of 40 students nationwide selected for the Hertog Political Studies Program, which combines guided study of seminal texts such as the Federalist Papers, Plato’s Republic and Exodus with focused research and discussion on one of three major issues: Iran, health care and bioethics.

The program also includes discussions with master teachers, policy analysts and guest speakers, including Antonin Scalia, William Kristol, Juan Williams, Charles Krauthammer, Michael Barone, Eliot Cohen, Elliott Abrams and William Galston.

•Isabel Protasowicki and Alison O’Connell, who were chosen for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX), a year-long, federally-funded fellowship for study and work in Germany.

Through CBYX, the pair will attend a two-month intensive German language course, study at a German university or professional school for four months, and complete a five-month internship with a German company in their career fields.

Participants are placed throughout Germany and have the opportunity to learn about everyday German life from a variety of perspectives.

Amanda Rothschild, back; Alison O’Connell, left, and Isabel Protaswicki.

•John Maloy, awarded an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship, which recognizes a student’s athletic and academic achievements, as well as campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership. An honors student in the College of Arts and Sciences and an officer of the BC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Maloy is BC Men’s Swimming all-time leader in wins (172) and in points scored (2024.75), and holds six of the Eagles’ individual team records. He will attend Georgetown University Law Center next year.

•Anne Kornahrens, a Presidential Scholar who — after receiving a Goldwater Scholarship and a National Science Foundation grant — became the first BC student to earn a SkaggsOxford award for post-graduate study at The Scripps Research Institute and the University of Oxford.